The Phoenix Diaries: The Day a Phone Call Opened a New Door (Part One)

From divorce papers to a travel writing scholarship, my second act began at a lakeside bench.

Phoenix Diaries
Personal stories of transformation, heartbreak, and rebuilding from ground zero.

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I went for a walk to clear my head. My chest still tight from a morning of hard conversations: the bank, my ex, the paperwork that seemed to multiply overnight.

Air in my lungs. Pavement under my shoes. Sun on my face.

The phone rang. Unknown number. I let it go to voicemail.

I ordered my usual matcha and carried it to my spot by the lake. That's where I pressed play.

"Hi Tanya, this is Elizabeth calling from the Paul Lasley Scholarship at Book Passage. Can you give me a call back?"

My thumb hovered for a moment, then I redialed with curiosity. I couldn't even remember what the Paul Lasley Scholarship was.

Elizabeth answered, her voice warm and steady. She told me about her husband, Paul Lasley, a respected travel writer who passed away a few years ago, and how the scholarship had been created in his honour. Then she said the words:

"Tanya, congratulations. You've won. You're coming to California."

It took a second for my brain to catch up. Then: "Holy shit!"

I was in shock, and yet a wave of excitement ripped through me. I couldn't believe what I'd heard.

When I was a little girl and adults asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer never changed: "I want to travel the world and write books about my adventures."

Writing and travel had lived side by side in my bones since childhood. Having them collide in this way felt like the universe whispering, 'Remember who you are.'

In a daze, I made my way back to my friend's house, eager to share the news. My life had been a relentless rollercoaster, grief and loss at every turn, and suddenly, here was a peak.

One day: arguing with the bank.

The next: winning a travel writing scholarship.

It felt like life was finally tipping in my favour.

I had already booked a month in England. Now I cut it short, cancelled hotels, and paid change fees I couldn't afford. I had to quickly rearrange everything.

Because when the universe hands you the thing you've been aching for, you don't say no. You find a way.

Travel Writing & Photography Conference | Corte Madera, California

Corte Madera, California. The Book Passage bookstore hummed with energy, rows of chairs filled with writers and photographers who had lived entire lifetimes of adventure.

Day one: Don George, the man who literally wrote the book on travel writing, stood at the podium. My pen flew. My body leaned forward, hungry to catch every word.

I signed up for critique sessions. Entered the writing contest. Wrote pitches. I even presented an impromptu idea to BBC Travel.

When the announcement was made that I had won the scholarship, everyone in the room turned to look at me, and I felt something I hadn't felt in years: seen. Validated. A writer.

I found my people.

If you've ever found your people, you know the electricity that comes with it. Conversations flowed. Inspiration sparked. Energy multiplied. I felt like I belonged in a way I hadn't for a long time.

On the final day, the conference came to an end. The Suitcase Awards. The room was buzzing with excitement, chairs shifting as people moved around, and the atmosphere was thick with nerves.

I sat with new friends, a photographer who told stories through images like pieces of art, a pilot-turned-writer chasing her own beginning. Around me were a mix of accomplished authors and wide-eyed newcomers.

It was the first time in years I felt this inspired, surrounded by people so genuine, so authentic, so kind. Everyone there shared a common truth: a love of storytelling in its purest form.

Then, Don George stepped up to the microphone.

“We're going to read the winning essay aloud.”

He lifted the page. Cleared his throat.

And began to read.

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Part Two: Read Here

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